Effects of Silver Nanoparticles on Soil Enzyme Activity of Different Wetland Plant Soil Systems

In the present study, five soil exoenzymes (dehydrogenase, urease, acid phosphatase, neutral phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase) were investigated in rhizosphere of wetland plants (Iris wilsonii, Arundo donax, and Typha orientalis) treated with silver nanoparticles (0, 0.024, 0.24, 4.80, and 9.60 μg/g dry soil). It was found that Ag NPs were capable of inhibiting all exoenzyme activities tested in this study, with inhibitory effects especially obvious to higher Ag NPs level (4.80 and 9.60 μg/g dry soil). However, for lower Ag NPs concentration (0.024 μg/g dry soil), the adverse effects on exoenzymes was only found in T. orientalis rhizosphere, the exoenzyme activities in rhizosphere of I. wilsonii were less affected. This study suggested that high concentration Ag NPs could negatively affect all soil exoenzyme activities, while the impacts of low Ag NPs level on exoenzyme activities were mainly related to plant species.